These are the same hard men who tooled up America for WWII and saved the world. Thanks for posting!

My grandfather worked at Ford Rouge plant casting engines and other labor intensive jobs. He came here from Lithuania and spoke polish and very little English. All our relatives worked at Ford and lived in Dearborn Michigan. My father started at Ford Willow Run Bomber plant. Went to Night School at Henry Ford Community College and received an Associates degree in Business. The first one in the family with a college degree. Being the oldest second generation I was told to study hard and get the First Bachelors Degree. Then my responsibility was to encourage and help other family members to study for Bachelors or technical trade school. We helped with tutoring and a pool of money. Being part of a Ford employee family was important for us. Just last week we took our grandchildren to the Henry Ford Museum to show them what our family accomplished. Looking back Ford Motor Company provided opportunities for many hard working families.

@AModelA

Жыл бұрын

That is a great family history. Thanks for sharing!

I don't know how those men kept up that pace in the casting plant-it looks impossible for someone to keep that pace for 8 hrs. Years ago, my uncle, who was a supervisor, took me through the engine plant in Cleveland. I was blown away-what an incredible operation!

@tomtke7351

2 жыл бұрын

those workers were happy for work.

@donsurlylyte

2 жыл бұрын

note this film isnt speed corrected, it wasnt quite as fast as this

@user-rk4zm3nb5f

Жыл бұрын

Did they have an 8 hour day?

@will7its

Жыл бұрын

Yes must have been back breaking work. I was in masonary and construction and am laying on a heating pad now.

@tonychavez2083

Жыл бұрын

Men were different then, you know, Real men, none of that sissy crap we have today

Utterly amazing how "Close Tolerance" was held in a time when carbide was Unknown along with CNC technology. Fantastic process of crankshaft and camshaft manufacturing, 2 most Critical components in an engine still today.

@user-rz4ex6lf6m

Жыл бұрын

Ты имеешь в виду карбид бора?

@donalbershardt9290

Жыл бұрын

​@@user-rz4ex6lf6mCarbide Tooling Cutters

@donalbershardt9290

Жыл бұрын

Carbide really isnt the Tool best for Cast Iron

Having worked in a forging as well as a casting facility for 20 years, I think it would've more interesting to have actual shop noises on this video instead of this music. Anyone who has worked in these conditions will tell you there a a lot noise, dust, and heat on the shop floor. Nothing glamorous or fun. Hard and dangerous work that wears men down much too fast.

@petebachelder1131

2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing while watching this film, wonder what it sounded like, must have been loud machines all day, too bad cameras didn't have sound back then.

@jamesb.9155

Жыл бұрын

They had sound capability by then, at least in Hollywood productions.

@bradleybrown8399

Жыл бұрын

I kinda imagine a pianoman in the corner banging out jaunty tunes while these guys do life-threatening work... 23 skidoo!!

@jerrypeal653

Жыл бұрын

This film may have been done without sound .

@rudeawakening3833

Жыл бұрын

Great point . I just had my (4th ) spinal surgery. I’m in transportation , but your point is well made , sir ! And thank you !

Absolute Men....Grabbing those blocks, just hoisting them up in the air with their bare hands to hang on something, like it was a five pound sack of potatoes. And that crankshaft forge, I couldn't wrap my head around that. Thanks for the awesome video.

@dougsather2939

3 күн бұрын

How about the flywheel 63 lbs 4 oz that man held it like it was nothing 😇🙏

Astounding film footage. OSHA inspectors of today would have a fit seeing all the safety hazards Ford workers were subjected to back in the day. Our grandfathers were definitely made out of tougher stuff! (Thanks for posting!)

@AModelA

2 жыл бұрын

Funny enough Ford produced several safety films in the 20's that detailed safety goggles and other safety measures. It went so far as to show one of the factory maintenance guys in a staged fall out of an upper floor window while painting window trim.

@ammo8713

2 жыл бұрын

THAT'S ONE RECORD.... THAT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN! 😁

@dennisyoung4631

2 жыл бұрын

@@AModelA they realized that looking after such matters benefited the firm as much as it benefited the workers?

@mattywho8485

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, and they even knew which bathroom they had to use.

@MrTheHillfolk

2 жыл бұрын

Musta been fun to be the babbit bearing pour guy, or anything dealing with those.

A lot of them still running to this day. AMAZING

@lisamcdonald7828

2 жыл бұрын

As they say the best Fords were powered by Dodge. Those engines and the entire drive train on the model A was made by the Dodge Brothers!

@gurneyforpresident2836

2 жыл бұрын

@@lisamcdonald7828 BS, you're just another jealous of Ford person. I'm a Ford historian by the way and have a extensive library. Not only that know the Fords personally.

@turbopumpen1031

2 жыл бұрын

@@gurneyforpresident2836 Gayyy

@t.s.racing

Жыл бұрын

@@lisamcdonald7828 uh, no they weren't.

@truthsmiles

Жыл бұрын

@@lisamcdonald7828 It’s a shame Dodge went to complete crap, I guess some time in the 70s or 80s? I had a ‘62 which was bullet proof and a ‘98 that was total garbage.

I'm so glad they recorded these amazing times. And I'm so glad you're sharing them. A very cool step back into time.

@AModelA

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you like them!

State of the art. The men who made the machines that make the machines unsung masters. Thousands crowded in a tight space. Someone back then was brave enough to capture every step, in dust and fumes and racket.

Absolutely fascinating documentary film. Model A Fords are still so interesting.

Fascinating and I too would like to heard the original noise and smell the original smells. It must have been like Hades working in there

@bigredc222

Жыл бұрын

Recording sound with the film was just starting in the late 20s. It was too complicated and expensive for this kind of video.

I could watch these all day. Hot dirty hard ass work. Massive dangerous machinery. Hard working Americans. Powering the Industrial revolution. Building America. 👏👏🤠🇺🇸

The fascinating thing for me is everything from the building, the machines the engines they are casting. The cars themselves were designed blue printed to the last detail with a pencil and a piece of paper. Impressive is an understatement.

@nigelparker5886

2 жыл бұрын

A very good summing up here! No modern computers at work there, just the human mind variety! When the US puts its mind to it, they are very capable! But that seems to have fallen flat a little over time I feel?

@stoveguy2133

2 жыл бұрын

I cad design to make docs to build parts is no better then paper. I did it.

@robertmencl9169

2 жыл бұрын

ford's torque spec for the mains and rods..."Good and tight"

@nigelparker5886

2 жыл бұрын

kev theplumber Great enthusiasm here, but a little over the top! I won’t even start on what others actually came up with first, just to say that America is great at developing and upscaling production! The problem with America is that you leave yourselves too insular! Cheers from the UK!

I remember touring the Ford plant in 1968 when I was 9 years old. From the steel mill to the end of the production line with ‘68 Mustangs rolling out. That’s when I learned the power of vertical integration. (Contrary to the GE school of management.)

Amazing how many jobs the auto industry provided back then. Everyone wore hats too!

And this is why these engines still run after 100 years real craftsmanship 🇺🇸

Flew over Rouge daily for 16 years when I was based in DTW. Absolutely colossal! It's one of the top man-made structures I've ever seen from the air. Toyota in Georgetown, KY is a distant second.

@passokita

2 жыл бұрын

It took almost eleven years to be finished, we can imagine how big it is 😲😲

@robc8468

Жыл бұрын

Interesting you mention Toyota the Japanese visited the Rouge plant long ago and were amazed to see raw iron ore turned into within 40 hours from start to finish. thats were the Japanese got the "just in time mfg. concept from."

Very cool video! Thank you for posting. Those poor guys, we’ve come along way.

@AModelA

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

After Henry Ford built the River Rouge complex, he rarely set foot in it - the inhuman scale of it was just too much for him to take. He soon created Greenfield Village, an homage to a way of life that he helped destroy.

those engines are tough, and were designed to be rebuilt, this would be strange words to our present day "THROW IT AWAY" mentality!!!! . back then all bearings were "FITTED" and adjusted with shims to get the proper clearance.( poured bearings are a "LOST ART") thanks for posting this video!!!!!

@jogmas12

2 жыл бұрын

I dunno, my 2004 accord still churning out at 233k miles. My 86 Nissan hardbody body truck still going at 500k miles.

@gregoryclemen1870

2 жыл бұрын

@@jogmas12 yup !!!, I have a toyota that has 235k miles on it also, my sister has a toyota also that has over 400k miles on it also. the machining processes are way better today than what they were back then, also the engines are being operated by computer, in addition the oil of today is by far better than what was being used back then. the air filtering back then only filtered out large debris, it is the fine dust that does all the wear. oil bath air filters only can do so much. there is a lot of 8N/ 9N ford tractors that are still on the job, with the same style engine.

@ldnwholesale8552

2 жыл бұрын

Poured bearings were just part of the 'problems' with those engines. They were well out of date even then. And from a production standpoint very slow as well.

@gregoryclemen1870

2 жыл бұрын

@@ldnwholesale8552 , that is true, however it was the only way to do it back then due to bearing shell design had not been invented yet. you also had to be really careful when rebuilding those engines, as each bearing was fitted, and adjusted with shims. the "FORDSON TRACTOR" used the same engine design, and the lower end of those engines never really posed a problem in terms of longevity. it was cylinder( ring and piston) / valve wear due to the poor efficiency and loose fitting of the oil bath air filter. poor maintenance was also a big factor. the oil used in those engines back then was just a shadow of what the present day oil is. this required frequent oil changes back then the engine did not have an oil filtering system either, .. that was a massive engine in terms of size Vs. engine horse power output. in todays standards that engine is overdesigned.

@babydaddy1930

2 жыл бұрын

@@jogmas12 yeah sure but does your truck have the beauty of a model a? Not even close...my 31 has been on the road for 91 years ....talk to me about your Toyotas in another 85 years.

4:50 battiting the mains.... amazing!

I really like the Dark Town Strutters Ball at the two minute mark. Adds to the ambience.

Teamwork and synchronization at its finest.

A Complete version of the film Interesting how they fit the safety wire at the flywheel Today most people make it much more complicated, twisting it all over Also the man who torques the crankshaft does it without any special tools, only by hand and arm feeling Thanks for posting it complete

@vincentrobinette1507

2 жыл бұрын

I'm impressed, that they use a ball bearing as a pilot for the transmission input shaft. they even balance the flywheels!

@ldnwholesale8552

2 жыл бұрын

@@vincentrobinette1507 Those flywheels weigh 70 odd lbs so balancing essential. As GM have proven a bronze spigot bush causes very little grief ever.. Roller bearings can and do fail. I have had several that have welded themselves to the gearbox input shaft. They should be better but in practice are worse.

@ldnwholesale8552

2 жыл бұрын

Again,,, prehistoric. 4 bolts on the flywheel with said bolts lockwired. Most engines used 6 bolts and were torqued in. I have seen both A and V8 engines with loose flywheels, the viabration in effect stretches the bolts. Though I have seen plenty of modified later model engines from most manufactures do the same. But not stock engines

@XORBob

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I thought the same thing on the lock wire. The Navy taught us to twist it and round the bolts so they couldn't back out. But maybe that's overkill.

@reubensandwich9249

2 жыл бұрын

As for torque, I'm assuming that's why the car had safety wire and 70-something cotter pins.

Really appreciate the opportunity to see this

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I AM LEARNING ABOUT THE MODEL A MOTOR!!!! GREAT VIDEO & EDUCATION. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

amazing no dial indicators all thickness gauges .....also see the man check the drag on the crankshaft , he knew just by feel...wonderful vid

@buckhorncortez

Жыл бұрын

Ford knew the requirement for precision measurement and in 1923 purchased C.E. Johansson, Inc. and moved the company, including Carl Johansson from Sweden to Dearborn, Michigan. Ford manufactured and sold Johansson gauge blocks and other precision measurement tools. You can still find Johansson gauge block sets for sale (often on Ebay) with the Ford logo on the gauge block box.

@jmikronis7376

Жыл бұрын

@@buckhorncortez, it wasn’t just for precision, it was also for interchangeability.

I served my time as a fitter turner so I really appreciate this film.

Totally awesome old footage of so many men working on the line and making $5 a day, which was real good money back then.

Excellent documentary on Fords ingenuity to mass produce these cars.

Loved the sync of the music as the engine was lowered ! Great film!

@AModelA

9 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

At first I thought c'mon get to the good stuff but then I realized it was showing the casting media and how they set up the castings. Then every single step was a new form of "Wow, that's cool!" Those flywheels were gigantic especially for small 4 cylinders. Really, really interesting. The music gets a little old though.

What a treasured piece of video history. Just the sheer volume of activity from raw materials to finished product on machines made just for the tasks at hand give a fresh ...or revived meaning to "qualified tooling" .

@AModelA

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

I never thought about how many people were working in these factories. Now I understand why whole cities were built around them.

Who knows...one of those engines in this film clip could be sitting in my car...!!

The flywheel that's being handled with such apparent ease @ 8:12 weighs 65 pounds!

Amazing from stick's & stone's to this marvel of Engineering. If only we could get along.

Looks like organised chaos. Funnily enough, some of those motors are still going today. That says something about the reliability. 👍🏻🇦🇺😁

It's nice to see how it was!

My dad did that at the Chrysler foundry in Indianapolis for 30yrs it's now done in Mexico

Love the hand torquing of the main bearing.

Henry Ford was a genius

@jmikronis7376

Жыл бұрын

He was also ruthless in getting his factories producing vehicles fast. My dad said he was a very hated man.

Remarkable industrial engineering.

Seeing the quality dept. checking the go / no go gauge for the finished crankshaft👍

@SPCLPONY

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! As a former machinist myself, I saw that as well at the 5:55 point. We called them snap guages in our shop. We set up the precision guage blocks to the go / no go spec. A second person (quality control) would verify the settings and then check the guages periodically throughout the shift.

Came here first for the video, came back again for the music😂

Fascinating !

Excellent video.

Thank you for this history 🙏

@AModelA

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

4 minutes of that music was all that I could take!

@dentalnovember

2 жыл бұрын

That music was better than the crap of today. All real musicians and singers, no auto tune BS. No electronic fix for anything.

@jeffduncan9140

2 жыл бұрын

It did get a bit repetitive. I had to watch it with no sound.

Excellent video

Excellent videos! I like seeing the old Ford stuff.

@AModelA

2 жыл бұрын

More to come! Thanks for watching!

Just brilliant

Very impressive!

thank you Henry

its amazing those things ran at all

Liked and subscribed.👍 Many thanks.👍

@AModelA

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, we have more Model A videos coming!

@jonniejam-shovel6405

2 жыл бұрын

@@AModelA Thank you, and may I also give credit to that vast manufacturering giant that came to Dagenham in Essex. Ford's works at Dagenham bought much needed employment to the people who lived in the area. During my childhood in the early 1960s, many of our neighbours worked at the plant. They were able to purchase a new Ford motor car too, which was very well subscribed. Sadly though in our modern times, Ford is a shadow of its former self, with new homes being built on the old Dagenham site. Still hopefully you'll bring us more memories about Ford. I'm hoping that you'll have some films about Dagenham too. Gone now, but not forgotten. Kind regards.👍 Jonnie

Mass production was almost more impressive from that era because so much of it was done by hand

At 6:10 they use Mr Johanssons gage block, this was a great help for Mr Ford, to accomplish mass production. Mr Johansson was from Sweden, and among other things, the inventor of the wrench, as we know it.

@analogdesigner

2 жыл бұрын

"Jo Blocks"!

@buckhorncortez

2 жыл бұрын

Ford OWNED the Johansson gauge block company. He purchased C.E. Johansson, Inc in 1923.

@analogdesigner

2 жыл бұрын

@@buckhorncortez, good info, thanks for sharing!

@thomaskarlstrom4815

2 жыл бұрын

@@buckhorncortez At the end of his career, in 1923, Johansson started to work for Henry Ford , and the block was his invention. He brought them from Sweden when he first came to the US. Ford then bought the entire American company, CE Johansson Inc. And moved it to Michigan. He was a remarkable man, Mr Lealand, the founder of Cadillac, once stated "There are only two people I take off my hat to. One is the president of the United States and the other is Mr. Johansson from Sweden." Cadillac also had the benefit of using the Jo blocks, and they became standard of the world.

@jmikronis7376

Жыл бұрын

The gage blocks were pivotal in mass production.

The internal combustion engines for the second generation of mass-production vehicles. The overall thermal efficiency had improved to around 8% under optimum conditions, rivaling the OTE of contemporary engines made by Alco, Baldwin and Lima Locomotive Works.

The assembly line is similar or the same to the Gorky motor/car plant in Russia. In 1933 when they started full production of the Model GAZ A and GAZ AA(a redesigned Ford A and AA). However ford had a major problem from the very beginning. The lack of skilled workers in Russia. Ford had to send his own employees to train people who had never even seen a car. Not talking about how to assemble one. But that is another story of it's own.

@Eduardonplima1

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe this history could be told someday to all of us

@SuperMAZ007

2 жыл бұрын

@@Eduardonplima1 I'm sure it will be just a matter of time

Amazing

very, very cool, thanx

@AModelA

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Wish there was at least some naration on the video. Great historical footage.

Henry Ford was a great man

Very interesting

I suggest the Hagerty video to see how one of those engines are restored today. Video covers full tear down and rebuild, including pouring new babbits!

@bigbaddms

Жыл бұрын

What is a Babbitt?

@gapratt4955

Жыл бұрын

@@bigbaddms Babbitt bearings are found on motors, fans, pumps, turbines generators and other industrial equipment. The bearings are designed to support the weight of the shaft, while providing a non-damaging surface for the high speed rotating shaft. In a Babbitted bearing, the lining of the bearing is bonded with Babbitt (a low melting-point, soft alloy). In the event of a failure or contamination of the lubrication system, electric arcing, or just wear over time, the softer Babbitt alloy wears instead of the journal or shaft.

Love the music.

Its amazing that Ford could build this. But like all good things, progress must continue.

The safety wire job is what surprised me. Did not know they would have done back then..@ 9:00

@AModelA

Жыл бұрын

Safety wire was used on the differential, torque tube, flywheel and rear engine mount bolts.

Get any 18 year old to that kind of work today.

The way they use that hydraulic hammer to beat down the cam shaft. No wonder they last so long.

Very difficult to kill one of those engines and even if you did, a weekend in the shed is all it took if you could fix an old Briggs you could fix one of these. You could pull a piston and rod out on the roadside and get it home on three if you had to.

@JohnSmith-de2mz

Жыл бұрын

On my old Harley ShovelHead back in the mid 70's I was on a So Cal Freeway and had sucked one of the three bolts that held the inner carb plate on, it bent a intake valve. My buddies and I diagnosed what happen after taking the air cleaner off and pulled the pushrods out of that cylinder and I rode it to my friends house about 25 miles away on one cylinder doing 50mph on the freeway. We fixed it the next day at his place with and old used valve he had and I rode it that way for many years after

Around 5:48 you can see an inspector come around with a couple of Jo blocks to check the guys calipers or guage to make sure it hasn't worn from use. He is using the gauge to measure the crankshaft journals. The inspector actually cleans the gauge before he tests it against the Jo block.

@AModelA

5 ай бұрын

Oddly enough we are planning on releasing a video in the next day or two about JoBlocks! Keep an eye out for it. Thanks for watching!

Excelent!

Wow .. they played great music in the factory. What a swell place to work!

@dougadams9419

Жыл бұрын

Those were silent films. The music is added by the uploader.

Have you considered adding some selectable CC captions describing what is happening in each step? It might broaden your video's appeal a bit.

@AModelA

2 жыл бұрын

That's a good idea. I may work on that. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

Great soundtrack

I'm struggling here....I just watched an amazing short film mesmerized by the machinery, watching brand new model A engines being built And that 'Made a Lady out of Lizzie' keeps creeping into my focus.

Pistons, cams, valves, cranks, blocks... all components found in engines today. The fundamentals all still here in cars.

7:24 When Freddie "Twist" Torque invented the Torque Wrench.

@billmiller2051

2 жыл бұрын

Lmao !!

They say that we have come a long way but you can definitely see the same thing going on in an automotive plant today. More automation and definitely safety for sure. If any of those men were alive today they would definitely be amazed at the Rouge today!

i still remember you need to use clutch to switch to neutral then clutch again to put it in gear

Hard to believe they could focus on the task at hand with that piano constantly playing

Some of the actual factory workers were wearing ties.That generation definetly didn't have a shortage of hardened hard working men and women..I love the song playing on the Video to..I really think I would have like to have lived through that era..Always loved hearing old stories from my grandfather as well as my great grandfather about those times very interesting....

How crazy and just think about the building of the facility to produce these engines the conveyor belts Etc and the Manpower

@u2mister17

2 жыл бұрын

Trains dropped raw material at one end and finished cars came out the other. Astonishing...

Dedicated loyal workers.

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

Жыл бұрын

$5 a day....Ford paid above average wages...and worked his employees to death...

Look at all the men working crazy. We need simple vehicles today. The tooling to produce it is crazy.

The Model A engine looked almost exactly the same as the engines used in the Ford N series tractors. I have always wondered if they were the same basic engine.

@tanman102

Жыл бұрын

Both made by Ford, both 4 cylinder, but completely different. The Model A engine is bigger than, but with lower compression than the Ford N engines. The Ford 4 cylinder N shares a lot of parts with the Ford\Mercury 239 V8 engine from that same era.

@user-jx4dr6ox6u

4 ай бұрын

Modelo A carburado ,el modelo n vaporizer gasoline , kerosenno o ambos combinados , motores muy similares, prácticamente indestructibles

Hard hats and other PPE existed at the time but clearly hadn't caught on yet. I wonder how many of those guys made it to retirement with all their fingers and without any serious head injuries.

What amazes me is the sheer quantity, soooo many, day in day out.

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

Жыл бұрын

All for $5 a day......enough to buy a Model T yourself within a year @ $295.....

@ronaldjohnson1474

Жыл бұрын

No different then today.

My great uncle Horance Lucian Arnold built the plant for Ford. Until then Ford had only sold a few cars.

Back before planned obsolescence. A Ford engine would be used on a farm for lots of chores from sawing logs, pumping water, processing crops, washing clothes, etc. And it would last generations! Good luck finding a car to still be in good shape after 20yrs of daily use today.

Wow amazing production line. No gloves no masks no safety glasses all the guys wore hats all shirts tucked in roll up your sleeves and get to work. No torque wrench needed I do it all by feel. Wow

Captions at each station would be great.

That music makes it seems making cars is allot of fun. Think i'll suggest my boss play that while we are working. Couldn't hurt and what's the worst could happen.

Oh WOW! This is fascinating. I also notice whites and blacks working together just fine.

Was that OSHA compliant?

The greatest women and men making America's finest trucks still today

Nothing changes much, I work in a foundry and maybe more OSHA and electricity but the basics never change - from moulding with cores to final inspection, yep.